No. 10: Nonna, a casual Italian sister to special occasion spot D.O.C. has a short menu of sharply executed Old World classics served in a saloon-like space. Keep an eye out for new dishes from chef Jacob Harth (Clyde Common, Davenport) who recently took over the restaurant.

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Bruce Ely/The Oregonian

Portland's 10 best Italian restaurants

No. 9: Accanto, a casual Italian restaurant that's more stylish than a Vespa, attracts hip Sunnyside neighbors for its fizzy cafe cocktails and buzzy vibe. The restaurant, opened as a casual sister to next-door landmark Genoa, which sits vacant today, dials up simple antipasti like marinated olives, deviled eggs with fried prosciutto and iridescent, cold-smoked salmon with mint marmalade.

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Ross William Hamilton/The Oregonian

Portland's 10 best Italian restaurants

No. 8: At its heart, Luce is a neighborhood restaurant, with neighborhood ambitions -- to serve low-cost Italian food inside a grocery storefront, complete with dried pasta and tomato sauce on the shelves. Come for the bell-shaped arancini, streaky flank steak with rosemary and garlic in good olive oil and, especially, the deceptively simple cappelletti in brodo, a bowl of ethereal chicken broth with a dozen little dumplings floating inside.

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Stephanie Yao Long

Portland's 10 best Italian restaurants

No. 7: On Wednesdays, you might see Bar Mingo chef Jerry Huisinga standing over a large pot, stirring stock and butter into fine carnaroli rice. There are plenty of reasons to visit this restaurant — the lasagne bolognese, cacio e pepe and approachable wine list — but Wednesday night's risotto might be the best.

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Grant Butler | The Oregonian/OregonLive

Portland's 10 best Italian restaurants

No. 6: If you've long thought of Lincoln as the missing link between Portland's mid-90s, farm-to-table revolution and the chef-driven, media-adored restaurant landscape of today, think again. Though the focus remains on Northwest ingredients, chef Jenn Louis has quietly moved the restaurant in another direction -- a sneaky-good undercover Italian restaurant.

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Michael Russell | The Oregonian/OregonLive

Portland's 10 best Italian restaurants

No. 5: That Mucca has survived, thrived even, despite a lack of critical attention, is a testament to the skill of chef and Rome native Simone Savaiano. Mains are the real star. The Lombata di Maiale, a fatty, salt-crusted slab of pork shoulder with figs, sautéed kale, polenta and a balsamic reduction, is just about perfect, retaining a rosy blush and an almost impossibly juiciness.

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Michael Russell | The Oregonian/OregonLive

Portland's 10 best Italian restaurants

No. 4: When it comes to Portland's Italian restaurants, newer, flashier, Southeast-ier spots usually corner the buzz. But Firehouse has something the others sometimes struggle to match: hospitality, comfort, warmth, plus a wood-fired kitchen that goes toe-to-toe with the rest. Built inside an old Woodlawn neighborhood firehouse — hence the name — chef Matthew Busetto's crew plate tip-top Italian snacks, the occasional pasta and the city's best Neapolitan pizza.

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Randy L. Rasmussen | The Oregonian/OregonLive

Portland's 10 best Italian restaurants

No. 3: With its marble and brass, firefly-swarm of lightbulbs and highly photogenic staff, Ava Gene's is one of the best-looking restaurants in Portland. The menu is chock-full of high-quality produce and picturesque plates, and the restaurant has developed a just reputation for its al dente pasta. If you order correctly, focusing on the vegetables, with a pane to start and a pasta to finish, you'll eat very well.

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Stephanie Yao Long | The Oregonian/OregonLive

Portland's 10 best Italian restaurants

No. 2: Good things come to those who wait. Southeast Portland's wood-fired Renata spent more than a year in development, going from idea to pop-up to one of Portland's best restaurants right out of the gate. The menu isn't particularly fussy or difficult, though you'll find plenty of creative sparks, plus our pick for the city's best pasta. Finally, a heavily anticipated restaurant that lives up to the hype.